Los Moros Fort

Los Moros Fort, locally known as Castillo de los Moros, lies on a hill in the city of Cartagena in the province of Murcia in Spain.

Cartagena was founded in the 3rd century BC by the Carthaginian general Hasdrubal the Fair. It was built at the site of a natural harbor. As far back as the 16th century it was one of the most important naval ports of Spain. During the 18th century the city was heavily fortified, which resulted in the building of lots of forts and batteries on the hills and mountains around the harbor. At present the city is still the headquarters and main military port, also for submarines, of the Spanish Navy and it possesses a large military shipyard.

In 1706, during the War of the Spanish Succession this, 56 meter high, hill played an important role in the taking of Cartagena, for Philip V of Spain, because of its strategic ability to attack Concepción Castle.

Los Moros Fort is a crownwork which was built between 1773 and 1778 by the Croatian military engineer Mateo Wodopich. It was designed by the military engineer Juan Martín Cermeño in the style of eclectic Neoclassicism according to the principles of the Frenchified Spanish School. It had to protect the Hospital Bastion and the San José Gates of the city walls. In 1929 it lost its military use and started to deteriorate.

At present Los Moros Fort is abandoned. It is freely accessible. A nice fort with a peculiar elongated shape. The district of Santa Lucía around it however is rather rundown, which results in the fort being used as a hideout by vagabonds and as a garbage dumping site, so be careful.

Gallery